Sunday 12 June 2022 02:31 AM Accused lieutenant of 'Asia's El Chapo' arrested in Australia for billion ... trends now
Pictured: Chung Chak Lee
An accused drug cartel kingpin has arrived in Australia in handcuffs and designer threads as he faces charges of importing 40kgs worth of meth into the country.
Chung Chak Lee, 66, was extradited from Thailand on Saturday after a decade-long stint on the Australian Federal Police's most wanted list.
Police allege he is the right hand man in The Company, a notorious $23-billion-a-year drug running empire.
Lee is understood to be second only to Chi Lop Tse, known as Asia's El Chapo. He was arrested in Bangkok in October 2020 and has spent 18 months languishing inside a Thai prison before he was extradited to Melbourne on a Singapore Airlines flight.
His arrest is a significant blow to the cartel, which brings in up to 70 per cent of Australia's meth from Asia and has been accused of laundering money through Crown Casino.
Australian police spent more than a decade hunting for Lee - working with authorities from up to 20 nations to monitor and eventually capture him. He was sixth on Australia's most wanted list.
The 66-year-old arrived in Australia wearing a black Armani shirt and Balenciaga sunglasses.
Chung Chak Lee, 66, was extradited from Thailand on Saturday after a decade-long stint on the Australian Federal Police's most wanted list
It's understood Lee is second only to Chi Lop Tse, known as Asia's El Chapo. Lee was arrested in Bangkok in October 2020 and has spent 18 months languishing inside a Thai prison before he was extradited to Melbourne on the Singapore Airlines flight
His arrest has been a significant blow to the cartel, which brings up to 70 per cent of Australia's ice in from Asia and has laundered money through Crown Casino
'This is a significant milestone after years of persistent investigative work by the AFP and our partners,' Krissy Barrett, Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner for Southern Command, told the Daily Telegraph.
'We will allege the man is a senior criminal associate of the head of a prolific transnational organised crime syndicate involved in trafficking commercial quantities of border controlled drugs within Australia and around the world.
'The Australian Federal Police has an international network of partners that are committed to pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice.
'If you commit an offence, there is nowhere to hide. The AFP has the means and the patience to track you down.'
Lee appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon charged with one count of trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs.
Lee appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon charged with one count of trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs
